The Amulet of Mentis
by Lykeans
Summary: After the disasteroid, Vlad now sits on a slab of rock in orbit staring at the earth contemplating his current life and coming to terms with his mistakes. There was no way to change his predicament or erase the past...That was until Vlad met a mysterious hooded ghost and was given a chance at redemption. However, unknown to Vlad, his redemption comes with a heavy price.


In the orbit of space on a slab of rock, Vlad "Plasmius" Masters sighs in depression staring at the beauty known as earth. His legs were crossed as he sat, elbows rested as his hands held up his head. It's only been two weeks since the asteroid and the end of his life as he knows it. Well, he was only alive this long because of his ghost half. Who knows how long much longer he can keep it up; whether or not this have negative effects on his human side.

He thought about returning to earth. Don't get him wrong, he knows how to get back. Just a simple answer of flying while intangible...but there was nothing there for him. Maddie no longer loves him, he realizes after so much thought while suspended in space. His love for her diminished the moment he had failed trying to take over the world. It was gamble...his last plan...it is was worth perusing but never had he thought the consequences will be this horrid. Another error on his part: ambition. No doubt Daniel earned more heroic appraises from his failure.

Daniel, his little Badger, hates him beyond any normal hatred he assumes. Lets not beat around the bush, it was his fault. He could've tried to get on the boy's good side instead of acting like a child and fought against the boy's teenage ambitions. Not an ounce of apology will get in the boy's good side. Daniel may just hunt him down alongside with the Guys in White and allow scientist to strap him down to a table and experiment on his body. Vlad shivers at the thought of needles and other horrors that came mind. Well, the boy has real reasons to hate him, but his father...

Jack left him out here to die - or his intentions as least. That in itself was confusing to Vlad. Never had the half ghost would've thought the man would cross the line of life and death. Sure he hunts ghost for a living, but they are already dead...No, Jack's actions were justified as well. He gotten cocky in the end and look and behold...Vlad Plasmius got greedy and screwed up!

"Fudge..." He runs his hands through his black hair, "BUTTER-FUDGE!" He shouts highest he could. "FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDGE!"

Silence in space.

So what's left, The Ghost Zone? HA!

His portal would've been confiscated by now. The Fenton's portal heavily guard and locked under DNA security scanners. Besides, no one wants him there - not even his, most likely former, associates. Skulker has Ember to take care of and his reputation to keep. Fright Knight already left him days before the incident saying he would guard the sarcophagus of forever sleep from reawakening Pariah. The old vultures were captured months ago, who knows what happened to them. All of his promises he kept to other ghosts had vanished in a puff of smoke.

His identity...

His power...

...gone...

So what's left to do now that he has nothing?

Life...choosing to life may result to a prolong torture of his lonesome. He could return to earth and forever to be hunted down until he gives in. Or...death, the coward's way...he could end his own life. The most efficient way is snap of his neck, or he could turn human and let the coldness of space take him. Space is the painless way to go. It's an better option to snapping his neck...to end it here permanently like how Jack intended.

Vlad drops his hands into his lap and looks up to vast space. "Two weeks and I always come to the same result." He stands to his feet, cape draping to the front and covering his entire body. His red eyes not once leaving the stars in space. "Ah...I guess this is it."

"Are you sure?" Vlad turns around to see another ghost before him. She looked like your standard ghoul in a blue hooded cape, her eyes gleaming neon purple and skin green. "I'm sure I can offer you another path to take."

Vlad takes in his surroundings again to see a room filled with floating pictures in frames, a maze of halls and doors twisting in and out at a mind boggling pace. The air felt stale but filled with light scent of gentle sweetness. "Where am I? Am I in the ghost zone."

"Allow me to introduce myself, I am Nilla." Vlad eyebrow rose in a quizzing manor and crosses his arms. The female floats around Vlad slowly, her voice smooth and charming, "I want you to do something for me, in return I'll give you an opportunity ...a restart in life. A chance to make even your fantasy to become a reality. Something that can achieve what the reality gauntlet...could not. All you have to do is wear this." With a wave of her hand a green ecto-sphere appears and morphs into...

...a cheap necklace?

You couldn't call it that even if you wanted to! The thing was literally three pieces of gravel tied together on what seems to be tooth floss. "You're joking right?" Vlad uncrosses his arms and wave his hand to the necklace. "How could this be a ghostly artifact?" The only thing impressive about it was the energy that was emitting from the necklace. A purple aura so strong that Vlad felt slightly intimidated by it.

(Danny Phantom Page 1 001 by lykeans)

"Ah, that's because it is the oldest of all artifacts." She leaves the necklace floating in midair before Vlad, flying behind him and gripping his shoulders. "Think about it, not all ghostly artifacts are flashy and powerful. Others are tiny and old, long forgotten from their time. Not even the ghost of time remembers this little trinket." Her voice lowers to a hush whisper. "The Amulet of Mentis does all the bearer commands it." She flies off higher in the air before Vlad and behind the necklace. "You want to rule the ghost zone just declare it so and all shall be yours. You want the infi-map only to obey you and none other - then so be it! You want to control the free will of all beings both human and ghost...Mwahahahahahahahaaa! Do I need to explain! IT. DOES. ALL!"

Vlad looks at the amulet(?) and stares. "What's the catch?"

"The catch?" She floats down to his level, "You must be a ghost for it to work, everything within the amulet's power is permanent, and it may not come off once you put it on. Not even the Blade of Severing can sever the necklace from your neck."

Vlad's eyes opens wide, "That's it?" She nods, he glares. "And what favor would you want in return?"

"To return to me once the entire amulet turns diamond."

"Turns diamond?"

"Yes, the amulet hasn't been used in over thousands of years. The amulet will only change appearance according to how much one uses it. Once diamond, it can be removed without struggle and return back to its resting place." Neon purple eyes frown at the floating necklace, "Now it's restless, begging to be used. Since I am its eternal guardian, I cannot turn away from its suffering." She looks back at Vlad and looks him in the eyes. "I'm giving you a chance to change everything you did wrong in return to do me this one favor."

Vlad looks back at the necklace in thought.

"Or would you rather go back to space and die?" Her voice calm and serene, a hushed whisper.

Vlad looks up to her with stunned eyes and then back down to the necklace. "How do I change it to diamond?"

"I do not know myself, nor could I search for it. The previous bearer wiped away any records from stopping him during his reign." She sighs, "And a few other things I wish I can remember."

Vlad sticks out his hand meeting half way to the necklace and stopping. His mind re-tracking earlier thoughts during his time in space. His thoughts on everyone he knew and associated with. His chances of survival...His past mistakes. It all boils down to one question: Is there anything left to lose compared to what I can gain?

"No...I have nothing left to lose and everything to gain!" Vlad grabs the amulet and his mind goes white.

In the last moments,Vlad feels his body fall to the ground as his mind sleeps.

An maniacal laughter echoes in darkness.

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Hello fellow readers! For those who wish to continue to read this story as it is being updated, please follow me at Archive Of Our Own (AO3) [ ]. For I will not continue this story here, and will only post the rest once this is finished. For more details please go to my profile by clicking my username "Lykeans".


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